Algarve mayors present united front against oil licence renewal

The Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve, AMAL, issued a statement today, criticising the Government's decision to renew an oil exploration license for the area off Aljezur where Galp-ENI intends to drill this Spring.

AMAL asks that the government cancels the permission, with its president, Jorge Botelho, stating that at its meeting this week, the 16 Algarve mayors all voted, "against the extension of the exploration licence to drill," awarded to the consortium.

Jorge Botelho says the license that has been renewed by the Government, "is conditional on an environmental impact assessment," which has yet to be presented and said the municipalities are "maintaining the same position as always," against the exploration and exploitation of oil in the region.

“We are totally against the possibility of exploration and extraction of oil in the Algarve, because this does not match with the economic dynamics of the region and also does not fit with the strategies of the Government for clean and renewable energies," said Botelho.

The president of AMAL called on the government to end this exploration, as it has done for the contracts for two other test wells planned off the south coast of the Algarve.

"Recognising that the Government has already canceled the two concessions on the south coast, there is the third licence, on the Vincentian coast, which we wish to see revoked," said the representative of the 16 municipalities of the Algarve.

Botelho recalled that AMAL already "has lodged a precautionary measure for this test well in the Administrative and Fiscal Tribunal of Lisbon," and said AMAL’s position is clear, it wants to see all three concessions cancelled.